01 Tides Of Time (intro) 02 Tides Of Time (part 1) 03 Tides Of Time (part 2) 04 Tides Of Time (part 3) 05 Tides Of Time (part 4) 06 Tides Of Time (part 5) 07 Tides Of Time (part 6) 08 Tides Of Time (part 7) 09 Tides Of Time (part 8) 10 Tides Of Time (part 9)

It's perhaps tempting to not get too excited when another artist comes along who's output is unashamedly influenced by some of the past masters – in this case primarily (but not exclusively) Vangelis and Jarre. Mike Andrews heralds from the same stable so-to- speak as FIN who's Jarre-influenced material so impressed a year or so ago (an album by FIN is due out in the not too distant future). Indeed why would one of the tracks here be titled 'FINalism' if it were not meant to be a tribute to an artist who can recreate Jarre's sound so meticulously? The attraction of artists like FIN, and perhaps Can Atilla and Arcane to to name a few others, is that that their material excels far beyond pure mimicry. And on the evidence of this album Mike Andrews is another who captures every sound, nuance and spirit and packages it into one spellbinding hour of Entertainment – and the capital E is no accident. Opening with 'Science and Fiction' we are treated to Mike Andrews full repertoire in one track. From delicate piano, to wall-of-sound symphonic vistas, the V-man's sonic trademarks are displayed with rare mastery. This is a nine-minute piece and it is laden with choice moments, with perhaps the last section which recreates the closing titles of Bladerunner the real icing on the cake (yes there's plenty of material for sequence fans here too). It's a brilliant opener. 'Sound of Silence' is a flowing, soothing 3 minute interlude which shows that this artist can find his own stylistic path, then 'Paradox' explodes onto the scene and what another fantastic cut this is. The sequencing is top notch, opening with menacing syncopations it develops into a infectious romp of the highest caliber, with a nod towards Andy Pickford in 'Maelstrom' form.'Synthopia' is not the slickest title I've encountered and does the music an injustice in many ways – despite it's relatively short 4 mins you can't second guess this piece – shapeshifting between electronic speech to massive sweeping pads, with a few 'Oxygene' style ricocheting bullets and some massive drum lines thrown in for good measure. A heady brew indeed. 'Song of the Spirits' adopts a lighter but no less effective approach. The beautiful main theme is deceptively strong, and it brings to mind some of my early 90's favourites such as Waveform or David Arkenstone. 'Nikki's Theme' continues in very much the same vein, and again the melodics are very strong this time picked out with an excellent guitar voice that lends easy comparison with Oldfield. With titles like 'O2-2001 Part 1' & 'Part 2' it's not hard to guess what's coming next, however 'Part 1' still surprises courtesy of the expertise with which Jarre's melodic finesse is analysed, deconstructed and recomposed into a fascinating thematic cocktail. 'Part 2' then adds the sequential ingredient and the imagery is complete – and totally fantastic. Dave Law's twee filter would start twitching with the next track 'Aura' but again it's delightfully composed and acts as the perfect intro to the next piece 'Just a Love Song' which for many may well be the highlight – and in this case the title would not suggest in a million years that this is very reminiscent of Vangelis's 'Antarktis' – for me one of Vangelis's very finest works and dare I say it this may even improve on the original. I don't make that statement lightly, but you just have to hear this to believe it. 'Wind off a Butterfly's Wings' proves that the strength of this album lies not in the track titles, however musically this is another choice cut – unashamedly commercial with a piano melody underpinned with a punchy rhythm. At the mid point however the butterfly mutates into a dragon fly and tears off at an impressive pace with uptempo rhythmics and synth lines. 'FINalism' initially deceives by having little reference to Jarre, but a couple of minutes in the trademark sequencing emerges and again we have another cracking track. 'Atlantis' is another superb slow paced, infectious and epic slab of symphonic synthesis, 'Moodswing' plays on an insistent beat and latterly threatens to break out into sequential pyrotechnics – the only disappointment is that it quickly changes direction yet again! Finally 'Jonathan's Tears' rounds off the album on a suitably powerful and poignant note. As I hinted in the introduction, the thing I like about this album the most is the high entertainment factor, it isn't trying to be anything obtuse, different or deep. It presents EM both derivative and innovative in a very high quality package. It's easy to enjoy and best of all grows with each listen, proving that this is no shallow offering which will fade quickly. If you like Vangelis, Jarre, or basically EM you can hum along to, take with you to work ingrained in the mind, or even something you can put on in the car without sideways glances from your other half – this is for you. Can't wait for the next album. Totally fantastic. (GG)